SkyAlyne Canada has been awarded a US$8.16 billion, 25-year contract by the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) to supply the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) new aircrew training capability.
Under the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program, the Canadian Government will acquire 70 new training aircraft which will be maintained and supported by SkyAlyne. The new aircraft include Pilatus PC-21s, Grob G120TPs, Beechcraft King Air 260s,Airbus Helicopters H-135s and De Havilland Dash 8-400s.
The new aircraft will replace Canada’s existing fleet of training aircraft - that includes older models of the Grob G120, King Air and Dash 8 - as well as CT-156 Harvard IIs and Bell CH-139 JetRangers.
In March 2024, the RCAF retired its fleet of 17 CT-155 Hawks with RCAF pilots to undertake lead-in fighter training in the US and Europe as a bridging solution into the 2030s, when the RCAF plans to purchase a new advanced trainer.
SkyAlyne is a joint venture created by CAE and KF Aerospace – the current incumbents of legacy RCAF pilot training programs in Canada – to provide a made-in-Canada solution for the FAcT Program.
The contract also includes classroom instruction, simulator and flight training, as well as numerous on-site support activities for prospective RCAF Pilots, Air Combat Systems Officers, and Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators.
Training under the new contract will continue to take place at key RCAF Wings in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and is expected to begin in early 2029 according to the DND.